Enhanced electrocatalytic activity of a new carbon nanocomposite electrode based on organic–inorganic hybrid nanostructures

Organic–inorganic hybrid nanostructures are successfully synthesized by incorporating 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and palladium chloride (PdCl2) at room temperature. The general morphology of the product was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) which displayed Pd distributed in the TMB matrix. A novel nanocomposite electrode was constructed by incorporation of the as-prepared product into carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE). After reduction of Pd(II) to Pd(0) during a negative reduction pulse; the electrocatalytic properties of the composite electrode were investigated towards oxygen reduction, hydrogen evolution and hydrazine oxidation all of which revealed strong electrocatalytic activities at room temperature.

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► A Pd(II) complex was incorporated into carbon ionic liquid electrode.
► The proposed nanocomposite electrode exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity.
► The electrode acts as an effective electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution.
► It shows excellent electrocatalysis towards hydrazine electro-oxidation.
► Effective electrocatalysis was also observed for oxygen reduction reaction.